More women testify about affairs with Lewis

ST. JOSEPH — Two more women testified Friday in Berrien County Trial Court that they had affairs with John Lewis in the summer of 2017 and slept with him on the day of his wife’s death.

Friday was the fourth day of the trial of Lewis, 50, who is facing a charge of first-degree premeditated murder. He is accused of killing his wife, Carla Lewis, 55, in the basement of their Niles Township home on Aug. 13, 2017.

The 911 call that Lewis made about his wife being shot was made in the early evening.

The women, April King and Carla Donoho, both testified they met up with Lewis to engage in sexual activity on that Aug. 13; King in the early afternoon and Donoho in the early morning.

On Thursday another woman testified that she’d had an affair with Lewis during the same time-period.

King testified Friday that she knew Lewis wanted to leave his wife and be in a relationship with her. King said that in March 2017 he had asked her to marry him, but she said it wasn’t a possibility because she was in love with someone else.

Donoho testified that during the few months she knew Lewis, he only said once that he had problems with with his wife and never spoke about leaving her.

During Donoho’s testimony, Lewis, from the defense table, was mouthing words to her. Judge Gordon Hosbein warned him to stop.

Both women said they occasionally met at Lewis’ house. King said she saw a gun at the house on one occasion.

Also testifying Friday was Herbert McGraw, an inmate of the Cass County Jail.

He testified about a conversation he had with Lewis while in the Berrien County Jail in April 2018.

During the conversation, which mostly focused on marijuana, McGraw said he realized he knew of Lewis, and that they both knew April King.

McGraw testified that Lewis had told him that King had turned him in, and that she was not going to be able to testify.

“Like he was alluding to something bad happening,” he said. “That’s why I came forward. I know the kids that are at her house sometimes, so I was worried.”

McGraw said Lewis told him that he was going to get off because of a lack of evidence, like not having the murder weapon. He said Lewis told him he made his wife’s murder look like a robbery.

Berrien Assistant Prosecutor Gerald Vigansky asked McGraw if he was promised anything in exchange for his testimony. McGraw said no, there wasn’t.

Defense attorney Ryan Seale asked McGraw if he still might get something out of testifying, and he said he did not know.

Seale said the defense expects to call two more jail inmates in to testify.

Lewis’ trial will resume on Tuesday at 9 a.m. The prosecution is expected to call about another 14 witnesses, then the defense will start its case.